


Show Me Why You're Strong

by Accacia, starsflee



Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst, Canon Divergent, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Lots of Angst, M/M, Suicide/Depression Mentions, slightly OOC, slow building relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-06
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-05-05 07:21:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5366309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Accacia/pseuds/Accacia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsflee/pseuds/starsflee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys has a life anyone would die for - most famous model in Pandora, a hot boyfriend, mansions throughout the galaxy and a lot of money. He considers himself the happiest person in the universe - that is until he suffers a horrible car accident losing an arm, a leg and partial vision of his left eye. The so called boyfriend can’t handle it and leaves the younger man with a broken heart and body. Jack is the owner of a company that has developed new advanced prosthetics, looking for test subjects suitable for the mind/machine connection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Crash

**Author's Note:**

> It’s a self-indulging story. I wanted to write something to vent about the depression I’ve been through the last months. Also, I’m terribly sorry that I didn’t really continue the Jaxton story - I’ve fallen in love with Rhack and can’t help but be obsessed. Title is from Retrograde - James Blake, the opening of chapter 5 in Tales from the Borderlands. Unbeta’d, but if you see any mistakes, please let me know in the comments. Anyone wants to beta my story, reach me at tumblr: @sogoodithurtsx.

The first thing Rhys notices are the noises. Car breaks, sirens approaching and the endless buzz of people talking things that made absolutely no sense. It takes a while for him to actually notice where he is, his left eye is all blurry and he can’t make much sense of the scene around him. Upside down, he sees someone trying to get to him but a police officer holds the man while he thrashed desperately. Everything was hurting and the pain was excruciating. He tried to move, he really did. Rhys thinks he can recognize his boyfriend but his consciousness slips away from him slowly, engulfing him in a very dark place. All he can hope for is that death doesn’t give him the final embrace.

____________~____________ 

When Rhys wakes up he can’t open his eyes. His eyelids are heavy and there’s a throbbing pain behind them, as if they were pulled out of its orbits and put back together forcibly. Throat dry, the young man tries to say ‘hello’ but only a sigh passed through his lips. Fingertips grasp the sheet below them, trying to signal to someone… anyone that might’ve been close. But he’s alone in the room. The beeping noises and the sterilized odor that invades his senses tell him he’s probably in a hospital bed. Memories of the car accident are vague, almost slipping out of his fingers into oblivion. Maybe it’s better this way, to not remember all of it. Maybe. But he can’t help feeling utterly worthless without being able to move from the bed.

“Rhys?”, a soothing voice calls to him from the side, tone careful enough not to be too loud. “A-are… are you awake?”

He recognizes that voice as Yvette’s and is instantly relieved by the fact he wasn’t actually alone. Rhys was starting to feel scared - he couldn’t feel his right side, couldn’t move his right arm. And his left arm felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, anchoring him further into the mattress. Yvette was here at least and he started to wonder if Vaughn was too, it’d be comforting to hear the voice of his best friend.

“Vaughn went home to take a shower and change into a new pair of clothes…” She explained, as if reading Rhys’ mind. “But he’s been here for 5 days straight, not leaving your side. Y-you… Rhys, you had us so worried.”

Again he tried to speak up, opening his mouth several times without any sound coming forward. Did he damage his vocal chords in the accident? He hoped not, Rhys was a talkative person - like a very articulate and talkative young man, he enjoyed having conversations that stretched themselves for hours.

“Can you hear me, Rhys? Squeeze my hand if you do.” That he could do. Or at least try. “Right, the pain killers must’ve numbed you pretty bad. I’m silly. You’ll… you’re gonna get better, Rhys. You have to. So many people love you…”

Frustration bubbled in his chest along with a dull pain that wasn’t overwhelming, it was bearable. August came to his mind, the boyfriend soon to be fiance, they were gonna share a life together. The promises they made and the love they shared were such a big part of why he is so happy. Why wasn’t August here? Did he go home for a pair of clothes too? He should’ve been here with Vaughn for quite a while too, attentive and worried about him.

“Except that asshole boyfriend of yours. He’s the worst. He saw you after the last surgery and ran, like a little bitch. You deserve better, Rhys… I’m rambling, sorry. Just so mad he is such a coward when you need him the most.”

No, it couldn’t be. August loved him… they were going to get married in five months, after he finished his Elpis and Eden-8 runway shows. It was going to be a small and homey party, restricted to his closest friends and family. His sisters, Fiona and Sasha were so excited when he told them about it. They insisted in doing his bachelor party, because “Once you get shackled to the holy matrimony of marriage, you’ll never be able to have fun again.” Harsh words, but he knew they were just overreacting and finding the perfect excuse for a blasting party. There must’ve been a misunderstanding, he thought. No way August would run like that, was the accident this bad…?

Feeling her friend tense under her touch, she continued.

“You’re in pretty bad shape, Rhys. It’s a miracle you’re still alive. He calls once in awhile, but that’s about it. Not that I’m complaining about being here with you, don’t get me wrong. I thought that… just… you deserved to know, alright? God, Vaughn is gonna kill me.”

Rhys’ shoulders timidly squirm, as if he’s trying to sob and take the control of his body once again. His eyes being closed firmly against what he thought were thick layers of gauze, couldn’t produce any tears, let alone water threatening to cry. With the pain increasing in his chest, his torso contorted weirdly wanting to overcome every single one of his body restraints with no success. Yvette put her cheek against the back of his hand, holding it emphatically with both her palms, squeezing it as a form of comforting her friend.

“You still have us, me and Vaughn. I know things sound bad right now. Just keep fighting, ok? You’ll be ok… I know you will.” Yvette said quietly, more to herself than to the man in the bed. “Things will just be a bit different from now on.”

Rhys knew the woman was just trying to comfort him - it was her blunt way about saying things that always made her a good friend. However, now that he was aware of the absence of half of his body, a little more awake than before - he didn’t care, suddenly, about his glamourous life or success. About his mansions across planets where he hosted memorable parties. About how many acquaintances he shaked hands with everyday, everyone worshipping his beauty and talent. Life as Rhys knew… was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have another chapter ready for this story, but I'd love to know what you guys think. ♥


	2. The Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhys is back at a new home with some challenges and his friends have a surprise for him. But he doesn't take that too well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I'm not very sure about this chapter and how things went, but it's mostly a filler chapter with some introductions. Also, no, they haven't created Prosthetics that integrate mind and body... yet. Jack will change that. But for now, he isn't gonna show up, I'm sorry. Hope ya'll like it. If you see any mistakes, don't be afraid of pointing them out. ;)

It was hard to fully explain how he felt after seeing himself in the mirror - or rather, half of his new self. The reflexion seemed to mock him. After all, making a life from practically selling his own body image - he wasn’t sure anyone would hire a model without an arm and a leg. Rhys started to model only to pay for his studies - he had a degree on programming and software development that never got to be used in a real job. The money helped a lot, he was borderline broke when the opportunity showed itself. It was all he knew how to do. He wasn’t exactly shallow per se, he valued other things above beauty and what not. His perception of the world was that everyone had their own charm, no matter the looks and he was quite fascinated by the variety of exquisiteness so far encountered in life. But this… this screamed incomplete. Like a lost sparkle of sorts, he looked so pale in the wheelchair with bandages over his left eye. His complexion was of a defeated man, darkness stirring in his lonely features.

One-handling his wheelchair, he rolled his way through the open apartment, a new one without any doors to make things easier. Rhys stopped before the large window, sunlight bathing his body. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth soothe his nerves. Now that he depended on everyone to do the simplest of things, moments like this were the ones he really appreciated now. When the doorbell rang he didn’t even flinch, knowing exactly who it was and typing a master code into the small keyboard attached to his “ride”. After two months in the hospital, Rhys asked to be taken care of at home, getting tired of the nauseating sweetish odor of ether. Even if this wasn’t his home, it felt better than completely white walls with white apparels and white uniforms on the staff.

“Hey, pretty boy. How ya doin’?”

Maya was an old friend, a physiotherapist that he met back at Eden-8 before he left for college. She was quite harsh sometimes, specially when it came to his exercises and Rhys’ lack of patience to push himself over the edge. Despite everything she did, he was sure that it was what he needed to get better - whatever that would be in the near future. Living with two limbs gave him an unbalanced stance, which is why he used the wheelchair most of the time. He had to do the best with what he had at the moment. Even if it meant to feel like the most worthless person on the planet.

“Ah, you know, just… peachy.” Rhys smiled, supporting his chin with his hand and batting his lone eyelash in a dramatic way. “Managed to go through my morning without a psychotic breakdown and I only thought about breaking the mirror once.” Maya stared. “Twice… Ok, maybe thrice. But I didn’t and that’s progress.”

They laughed together, Maya giving a warm smile afterwards to the young man.

“After we do your exercises, Yvette and Vaughn are bringing a friend over. And-” She raised a finger, stopping anything that was gonna come out of Rhys mouth. “It’s supposed to be a nice surprise. No freaking out on people anymore, ‘kay?”

Rhys pouted, waving his hand dismissively then muttering a ‘whatever’ under his breath. It’s not like people didn’t know who he was, rather he didn’t know that for himself anymore. The vague sense of identity disappeared when others stared at him like he was a two-headed monster. So let’s say he wasn’t very receptive on new acquaintances. To the hell with it, if Yvette and Vaughn had a nice surprise for him, he wasn’t gonna ditch them. Not like he could _run_. Ha. Run. More like limp slowly as far as his one leg would lead him before he fell with his face on the floor.

Knowing somehow the visit was a stress trigger to the model, Maya went easy on him and even made lunch in the time between sessions. Rhys didn’t eat much nowadays, his appetite slightly shrinked with all the medication he was on. Still, the spaghetti bolognese was a nice treat from the blue haired woman - a rare one.

“How are you anyways, Rhys? I mean… no bullshitting me, how are you handling everything?” Maya had the concerned face on, inclining slightly towards Rhys with genuine interest. He just sighed and put down the fork with a clink to the plate. How could he translate into words exactly what he was feeling?

“I feel… lonely, I guess. It’s a hardship that I have to endure alone at the end of the day, because the fucking jackass that was supposed to love me in sickness and health just disappeared from the face of the planet. Feels silly to think of…” And Rhys frowns at thinking about the bastard’s name - the word on its own having the power of raising anger within him. “… August at this point, it’s like he’s a distant memory that never existed in the first place. Anyway, apart from having to jerk off with my right hand being left-handed, as I said, everything’s peachy. Before you condescend me about sexual urges, remember not everyone is as lucky as you to be completely immune to this side of humanity.”

“Doesn’t mean I don’t understand the _necessity_ of it, silly. I might be ace, but sometimes… I can see the appeal of it.” Mays shrugs mouthing a handful of spaghetti with little finesse.

“You know, I think it’s not too late to buy that sex doll robot I saw on the internet the other day…” He jokes, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively.

“That… I _cannot_ see the appeal at all. Aren’t those dolls like completely cold as crap?”

“You see, they made this internal heating system and-” Rhys was interrupted by the doorbell, echoing loudly in the loft.

“Saved by the bell, pretty boy. Don’t bother with that shenanigans of yours. I’ll answer the door.”

“If it’s an attempt of making me date someone in this state, you can close the door on their faces.”

“It’s not, Mr. Grumpy. Hold your panties.”

____________~____________

As a matter of fact, it _wasn’t_ a date - more like a creepy encounter with a mechanical engineer called Angel. She was eager and very pleased to know him, saying how much of a fan she were. It made Rhys squirm uncomfortably in his chair, not bothering to fake a smile. This kind of attention kinda set off his nerves. She looked at him as if he was… broken. Which, to be fair, he was but be damned anyone besides him would say it out loud. Screw that.

“So… uh… surprise?” Vaughn attempted to smile and seek support from Yvette, who had her arms crossed with an unamused expression.

“I told you this was a bad idea, Vaughn.”

“No, you didn’t! Well, maybe. But Angel isn’t just any engineer, she’s the main mechanical engineer at Hyperion Prosthetics!”

“Prosthetics. Is this why she’s here?” Rhys asked, lowering his glance and frowning profusely. “I’m not some object you can mend with pieces of metal. Just… Get out. If I’m just a broken toy for all of you, I’m sorry to inform you I’ll stay this way, thanks.”

When no one moved an inch, in fear or maybe not quite understand where this anger came from, Rhys practically yelled out of his lungs. “GET. OUT.”

“Rhys…” Maya started, getting up from the couch she was sitting and putting her hands up carefully.

“I don’t need your pity. And I certainly don’t need anyone to _fix_ me. Get the fuck out.”

The air in the room got thicker with something Rhys couldn’t put his finger on. The shocked expressions, the rustling around the living room, the _pity_ glances they threw at him again. Was it too much to ask to simply leave things the way they were? He had time to think about it. Didn’t make him feel any better that his own friends would just poke the wound, dropping hints here and there that he should maybe get prosthetics. What difference would it make? They’d be just an unwanted extension of his body, static modifications that wouldn’t make him walk again. He’d rather learn how to live with this body, even if he struggled forever to even take a bath.

To Rhys’ surprise, Angel stood beside him with firm conviction while his friends had walked away through the door. Glaring at the young lady, Rhys started to roll away to ignore completely the stranger.

“Mr. Sommerset, if you change your mind, I’m leaving my card here on the table. We can help… if you let us do so.” When Rhys didn’t answer, Angel’s confidence dipped a little bit. “Right, uh… I’ll show myself the way out. Nice to meet you.”

As he heard the click on the door, Rhys grabbed a vase from the table behind the sofa and launched it against the wall. He had never felt so alone in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me at tumblr. Maybe. I don't know, haha. I'm @accaciax and @sogoodithurtsx - full of Rhack goodiness.


	3. Tempting Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING. This chapter contains suicide and depression descriptions. Don't hate on me.
> 
> This is a short chapter. I've moved into a new place and depression has really taken a toll on me - so I'm sorry for the lack of updates and for this chapter being so... dark, I suppose. Thank you for all the kudos!

Sleep didn’t come easy to Rhys as he was splattered in bed that night, the events of the day taking a toll on him more than he’d like to admit. He overreacted like a jerk, pushing away the friends who were there from the very start supporting him through this awful life changing scenario. His mind was a blur of mixed feelings. On one hand, he was sure his friends would understand where this outburst came from - he asked, politely, several times for them to stop on the prosthetics matter. On the other one, however, he felt as if everything was absolutely fucked up between them because he was too proud to admit his mistake. A bottle of whisky seemed quite the idea right now, something to take his mind out of this fuck fest of guilt and resentment.

The golden liquid had a certain soothing feeling as it went down his throat, the strong liquor burning his throat in a delicious way - the promise of forgetting everything. One glass after the other, the numbness was welcomed by Rhys like an old friend making amends. He looked through the same window to be met with the moonlight instead of the sun. He closed his eyes and thought of many things. One of them being his lack of will to go on with his worthless life. This chaotic setup he was in: being taken care of, losing all of his job contracts due to obvious reasons, being an asshole to his friends, having his heart broken by someone who didn’t really love him. And he wasn’t gonna lie, the sex… the sex was something he really missed. Being a celebrity, there was no such thing as going alone home everyday - even being committed to August, he fooled around a lot. It was an agreement for them both, August being another celebrity he fucked whoever he wanted and Rhys would do the same. But they would never tell each other about their escapades. It had maintained the relationship… “healthy”. To the hell with that prick, he wasn’t even good in bed. But Rhys liked him, a lot. He made him laugh with the most impossible scenarios, he would care about his complaints about his job, he would always tell him he was the most beautiful man he ever saw. August made Rhys feel… special. Like he mattered more than some spreads in a fashion magazine, that he was someone… loved.

Rhys looked to the clock on the wall. Four in the morning. Time for another bottle of whatever he had in the house.

Being inebriated was a funny thing. He couldn’t feel the tip of his fingers and often dropped the glass he was holding. Not that it mattered anymore, he was drinking from the bottle of something he didn’t even know what it was. Controlling his wheelchair became a challenge, going back and forth while being confused at where he was going. When he finally reached back to his room, Rhys opened his closet with a pouting. Was it always this neat and organized? Maya must’ve organized it. He touched the clothing trying to remember where did every piece came from. Rhys couldn’t remember. Except… except that one white silk scarf next to his ties. August had bought it on their 4th anniversary and blindfolded Rhys while doing unimaginable things to the model, the things you don’t tell your best friend about it because it was that dirty. Feeling nostalgic he grabbed the silk piece and pressed it to his face, reeling in the pleasure of the soft and slippery textile.

Rhys looked to the ceiling. Some pipes over the bed connected to walls of the apartment and seemed strong enough. The idea forming in the back of his mind was still maturing, but coming forth surely as he climbed the bed. He gulped a lot more from the gin bottle he held, thinking that maybe he needed more liquor to have the guts to do what he was about to do. Should he even write a letter to someone? Anyone? He couldn’t honestly remember who the fuck would even miss him.

After a few tries, he managed to get the scarf over one of the pipes closer to him. It was long enough, it should do its job. Fashion suicide. It would be a hilarious joke to the tabloids who were already discussing every piece of his miserable life in every corner of the universe. Doing the knot right like his father had taught him was complicated. He glanced sideways to his phone, thinking of sending a message to Vaughn. Would he even understand or be receptive after yesterday’s happeings? Fuck it.

“Rhys… is that you? Bro, it’s five am. Why are you awake?” A groggy voice came from the other side of the line, clearly displeased of being waked this early.

“Shhhh, why ya s-so loud?” Rhys hissed, hiccuping between words.

“Rhys. It’s too early… just go back to sleep. Wait, are you drunk?”

“Y’know, I used to think… Nothing would… w-would ever haaaappen to me… like I was this super-duper-awesome dude, luckiest guy in the universe…B-but I guess things change. You promise me to bury me with my sock collection?”

“What in the world are you talking about, Rhys?”

“Also, tell August he is a piece of shit.”

“Rhys, you’re making no sense, bro. Just go to sleep, please.”

“Call Angel later. Tell her to find a better candidate, ok?”

“You’re like the only candidate. Jack is coming later to your apartment to talk about something with you. You know, the CEO of Hyperion Prosthetics…”

“Nope, can’t do. They’ll find another one, for suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure… don’t you worry about it.”

“Do you… “ Yawns. “... want me to come over?”

“Nah. Sorry for calling… just wanted to say I appreciate you, bro. Like really appreciate you.”

“Yeah, yeah, me too, Rhys. Get come sleep, you’re gonna have a hell of a hangover in the morning. Or in a few hours. Or in the afternoon… you know what I mean. Bye, Rhys.”

“Yeah… bye, Vaughn.”

The knot was ready, hanging from above taunting him in a defiant way. Climbing the bed with the lack of his limbs was challenging, he kept falling off to the mattress and his tipsiness made it hard to stand up. Before wrapping his neck like a morbid christmas present, he thought about how worthless he felt and how his chest hurt. He was trading misery for nothingness, trading a derailed train for a wreckage in a no survivor scenario. The tight feeling around his throat made his throbbing heart reach his ears like drums and Rhys perhaps shed a few tears, he couldn’t tell - lack of oxygen was taking over every survival sense he still had, fighting death with nothing but the desire of wanting it to be done with already. So close, yet so far.

It could’ve been perfect. But things in life are fallacious, tricky. The young man had cheated death again.  


Rhys felt his torso being lifted quite effortless by strong arms, holding him. He thought maybe this was afterlife, like plunging down a hole and being held to break his fall. However, as his lungs felt full of air again he could tell this wasn’t heaven or hell. His focus was on the heterochromatic eyes staring into his soul and for the first time since his accident, he didn’t see pity on that man’s introspection. That gave him enough comfort for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this was short. I just wanted to introduce Jack the way I had in mind. Follow me on tumblr: @accaciax.


	4. The Struggle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably gonna be the only chapter for this week, I'm not sure yet. After christmas, I'll see if I can figure out time to write it. I know this is a slow building relationship, but it'll speed up in the next chapter. If you want some spoilers, there's gonna be a first kiss in it. I'm totally cruel, ain't I? Well, uh... merry xmas everybody!

Maya was walking nervously around the kitchen, with occasional hair grabs and frustrating groans. She was waiting on Rhys’ doctor because of course the idiot wouldn’t want any bad publicity by going to a hospital. The blue haired woman had brought Jack along to talk about the prosthetics, to put some goddamn reasoning into that thick skull. Had she not been there an hour earlier, she’d had found a dead Rhys hanging from the pipes. She was a strong willed woman, but seeing her friend almost dying again froze her entire body on the spot. Maya was glad Jack acted quickly enough to save Rhys, not hesitating because he knew exactly what to do. Rhys made a scene, obviously, crying and kicking Jack and Maya away after he noticed things had not gone through the way he wanted to. Took a lot of effort to calm him down and it surprised both of them that he had the energy to throw a tantrum like that. However, Jack was patient, more so than Maya, because she was about to slap him in the face. And now here she was, making coffee and leaving Rhys to Jack calming herself down from that chaotic situation.

Highly caffeinated, dark and no sugar. That was how she remembered Jack liked his coffee and she hoped that was still how he had it. Maya knew Jack because of her work, they had done some stuff together back then when Hyperion wasn’t a big shot as it is now. She had been the one to talk to Angel on Vaughn’s request. She wasn’t expecting for him to react so badly about the prosthetics - it would improve his life so much, he deserved more than being strapped to a wheelchair all the time.

Pulling herself together, she grabbed the two coffee mugs and headed to Rhys’ room. Maya looked curiously to what she had found: Rhys was curled in a fetal position, breathing rapidly and crying slightly; Jack was holding his hand, his thumb doing circular motions as if to soothe the young man. Jack wasn’t the caring kind, he was kind of a jerk in all the worst possible ways. So when she offered the coffee with a questioning look, Jack returned it with a neutral one.

“It used to make Meg calmer when she had panic attacks.” He simply explained, drinking the coffee with none of his usual snarky remarks.

“Do you think like… it affected his brain? You know, the whole…”

“No, I think we got here just in time to avoid that. But I think we’ve established all models are no brainers, kitten.”

“Oh, shut up.” Said Maya half-heartedly, punching the other man’s shoulder and with a small smile on her lips. “Is he a match, Jack?”

“Baby girl, you know I’m all into erotic choking, but this is going a lil’ too fast for me.” Jack smirks deviously, still holding Rhys’ hand.

“Moron, you know what I mean by that.” Maya put her hands on her hips and inclining herself forward to intimidate the older man.

“Yeah, yeah… he’s a match. However, pumpkin, I can’t really force someone to be a part of the project, no matter how badass it is - I mean, everything I do is top notch. I need some consent here.”

Silence filled the room with an unforgetting awkwardness, giving space to contemplation. The doctor thing was just to be sure Rhys was ok and to… well, to see if he was psychologically able to go through the prosthetics project. Right now, a panicking Rhys was in no right mind to decide or be coerced into it - or so they thought.

“I’ll do it.” Rhys said in a hoarse and very tiny voice, almost unnoticeable if it weren’t for the absence of sound altogether. His breathing seemed to be more steady, although not normal - he struggled with maintaining his airflow. His chest appeared to be filled with bees, stinging everywhere, it hurt - it hurt _so much_. It was like in the ER when he had the accident, but not quite the same - somewhere in the back of his brain, he knew he wasn’t dying, his heart beating rapidly wasn’t gonna stop. Still, the pain was there. “Why does it hurt so much?”

“Uh, Rhys, you tried to hang yourself, usually that kind of thing leaves some marks behind…” Maya said carefully, sitting on the bed beside Rhys.

“No… my chest… it hurts…” Rhys hissed, tightening the hold Jack had on his hand unconsciously,  a tear falling off his right eye. “Make it stop.”

“Cupcake, you’re having a panic attack, hold on tight. The doc will be here in no time, he’ll give you some tranquilizer or somethin’. Now just try to breathe slow and steady, like you’re meditating, that zen shit everyone’s so hot about it. Can you do that for me?”

Rhys nodded, trying his best to control his exhaling and inhaling, attempting to ignore the discomfort in his rib cage. There was something soothing about the honey and velvety voice of the man, something so very calming that made him want to obey Jack - to please him. Time seemed like a very flexible concept when you seemed to flow between consciousness and the inclination to give into sleep. The doctor arrived just like Jack said and examined him thoroughly, asking a few questions and he really tried to answer them - because Jack needed him to pass the test. He wanted to pass the test, wanted to give it a shot at those prosthetics. But his favorite part, really, was when the doc gave him sleeping tablets - letting him slip into a peaceful rest.

____________~____________

  
“Aw, man, I really fucked up…” Vaughn started saying, looking very guilty on the corner of the couch. “He could’ve died. I’m such a shitty friend… I wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying.”

“Don’t beat yourself up too much, Vaughn. He’s ok now.” Yvette said, patting his friend on the back. “Now Rhys can officially said he escaped the Grim Reaper twice now.”

“No, no, you don’t understand. He asked me to bury him with his sock collection and he said bye in such a weird way. I cannot believe I hang up on him like that. What if Maya didn’t have the keys to the apartment? That’s my fault. My freaking fault, Yvette.”

“Don’t you think we gotta figure out someone to… stay with Rhys?” Yvette asked, unsure of the matter in hands. “Look, as miserable as you are now Vaughn, we kinda need to address the suicide attempt. Can’t leave Rhys alone now. I have too much going on now, working too hard and my sisters are staying with me for a couple of months until they find a place of their own.”

“I fucked up once, I don’t wanna do it again. Rhys is my bro, but I can’t… I just can’t… what if it happens again and…”

“I’ll stay. Rhys is paying for a hotel that’s way too expensive for me anyways and I can just settle in here. That way I can also help Jack with the whole process and what not.” Maya said, shaking her hands dismissively, as if it was no big deal. “Besides, I’m a light sleeper, anything happens I’ll be up in no time.”

Jack just came into the living room to listen what Maya had said, throwing himself beside her with a snort. Rhys had finally slept and let go of his hand, which was kinda endearing but getting really weird after a certain time.

“I gotta say, it was kinda cute hanging out with that kid, he’s like a puppy imprinted on me.” Jack chuckled lightly, crossing his legs and putting his arms on the back of the furniture casually.

“Did you expect any less after saving his life and helping him through a panic attack?” Maya asked, grimacing at the man’s frivolous way of saying things.

“I’m just that awesome, always the hero, babe. I don’t mind having fans.”

“You’re just an impossible man, Jack.”

“Me and Vaughn are leaving, we’re supposed to get dinner with my sisters. Tell Rhys we stopped by, ok? And that he owes me lunch on Tuesday.”

“Yeah, sure… I’ll make that top priority, Yvette. Geez, you’re such a leech.”

“Hey! He promised, that’s all. Never gonna pass on free food, he’s the dirty rich one, not me.”

Maya rolled his eyes and waved goodbye, she did not like Yvette at all - she had a feeling the woman was more of a person interested in Rhys’ money and celebrity status than actually caring. But Rhys told her she was a good friend and Maya believed it. Kinda. She was never one to trust people easily. Propping her head on Jack’s lap, she sighed loudly.

“Rhys is a good person. He doesn’t deserve any of this…”

“Cupcake, this is a fucked up world, no mercy. But I’ll tell you what, I’m gonna make those prosthetics work beautifully. Hell, he could even model for us after the implementation.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea. Could help with his self-esteem somehow.”

“Pumpkin, do I ever have bad ideas? Come on, I’m a natural genius.”

With that, the blue haired woman got up and kicked one of his feet. “Go home. You got work to do tomorrow, bring your paraphernalia and Angel.”

“But I thought he was going to the lab, come on, that’s a lot of equipment, Maya.” Jack groaned, not a bit pleased to have to work in this place. “Even for just the first steps, it’s not a ride in the park, you know?”

“Yeah, well, you’ll think of something. He won’t leave until actual surgery and even then I don’t think he’ll be too fond of that idea.”

“Just leave it to me. I’ll collar him like a puppy, he’ll follow like a good boy.”

Rolling her eyes, she pushed him towards the door impatiently. “Alright, alright. See ya in the morning, cupcake. Don’t miss me too much.”

“I will most certainly not. See ya, Jack.”

Maya checked all the security codes before heading into Rhys’ room. He was still in the same position from earlier, making it easy for her to join him in bed beside him. The young man looked so peaceful, so different from this morning. Yawning with absolute exhaustion, she turned off the table lamp and pulled the blanket over her body.

“Good night, Rhys. Sweet dreams, pretty boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear there's a reason Maya is the one staying with Rhys. But it is a secret, shhhhhhhhh.


	5. Changing Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I just noticed I’m a complete idiot who named the same chapter twice “Tempting Fate” - sorry about that, I copied the wrong title. Ok, I’m not so sure about this chapter, it seems that falling in love is just as awkward in fiction and real life. I feel like these two have a very hard time communicating at all, which will be certainly the cause of conflicts, but for now it’ll create a sparkle between them. Anyhow, I’ve got myself an amazing beta! ♥ So that’s awesome. Thanks Jordan. ; w ; If you wanna follow him on tumblr: @you-and-i-he-and-she-are-we.
> 
> P.S.: How could I forget? I'm such a dweeb. :c Anastasia (@ar-abelas on tumblr) translated this fic to russian! Isn't it neat? ♥ Here is the link if you wanna check out: ficbook.net/readfic/3899504
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos, guys.

It was awkward, at first, having this equipment settled in his fairly new living room, things beeping and flashing. However, most importantly, it was very awkward to watch Jack work. After this man had seen him go through a panic attack it wouldn’t seem that his presence could actually be affecting Rhys this much. But every time he even brushed his fingers against the other man’s it would send an alarm of “ _nopenopenopenopenope_ ” throughout his head. Problem was really that Rhys couldn’t stand the idea of falling for anyone right now. Hard as it had been to be alone, he absolutely could not cling onto the first person that paid any attention to him. After all, Jack wasn’t exactly _paying attention_ to him - business, he thought, this is all business.

Then why, _why_ , does he always throw glances at Rhys when he thinks the young man isn’t looking? Maybe he was delving way too deep into those hypnotizing eyes that didn’t cast any shear of pity upon him. Yeah, that was it. He hadn’t had those since he left the hospital and the boring but mostly fleeting look of the nurses. It would most likely vanish by the end of the week. Except it didn’t.

All those mornings when Maya told him Angel and Jack had arrived, he had freaking butterflies in his stomach. At the age of 27, a grown man having a sickening teenage infatuation for another person was absolutely unacceptable. Especially when he realized the other man was way out of his league. Handsome, charismatic, successful and extremely confident - and not the kind of Rhys successful, rather the _I own half of the universe_ kind of one. He might’ve showed up on various magazines and worked for famous designers, but Jack himself was a legend. Hyperion was at its prime, holding more than eighty percent of the market of… anything…

A gun? Hyperion has the most accurate and functional guns in the universe. Torgue doesn’t have anything on the bigger enterprise. A security system that’s efficient? Hyperion has that and even more to offer, making Maliwan’s look like a child’s play. Shields? Not even the buried Atlas could overcome their results and they had some interesting shield designs. Hell this company even makes toothbrushes. Hyperion can make your life easier with _anything_ that you need, with  better prices and better quality.

Rhys didn’t actually think the big CEO would be working on such a project in one of his many at Hyperion, he guessed it had a lot to do with his daughter working with him. Perhaps a father-daughter kind of bonding time is what inspired him. She seems happy about this whole endeavour, especially when Jack compliments her on her blueprints and designs, which he did quite often. Rhys smiled at those encouragements. It was absolutely endearing to see the two of them, taking his mind off himself for a while was refreshing over the course of that week.

They explained there were a lot of things that needed to be taken care of. Such as mapping his nerve ending structures, molding the entrance of the prosthetics so that he wouldn’t need to actually remove them that often, measuring his other limbs perfectly as they settled for a full symmetrical set - among other things Rhys didn’t understand. He understood some of the programming bits here and there, however everything felt alien in comparison to Jack’s level of knowledge. Which made him feel, once again, unworthy of the CEO’s attention.

Why should he get this upgrade to his lifestyle anyway? So many people suffered worse accidents than him, people that didn’t have the money to get these perks, people that had better reasons to get prosthetics. A family man that had to provide for his wife and kids, an in-debt college student that just started her life, humble people that needed to work for their income. Rhys felt so small thinking about how grateful he should be, he shouldn’t be this rollercoaster of emotions when everything was so _easy_ to him. From infatuated to gloomy teenager - Rhys was really getting a hang of making himself a fool, going through puberty a second time. Like playing Teen Years Bingo with all kinds of awkward feelings. And honestly, it was a game he didn’t mind losing.

They say life can’t get much worse when you’ve lost two limbs to an accident and begin to fall in love with a complete stranger. Actually, people don’t say that. Nevertheless, Rhys might as well scratch that from the list of the things one does after an almost fatal accident - because when his right eye started to give him _problems_ , things could in fact get worse.

“The doctor did say you could have issues with your eyes. Could be only for a couple of days, maybe?”, Maya wondered as she sat at the kitchen stool, leaning her torso against its back with her legs open. “We should call Doctor Zed in any case, I think he’s back from vacation.”

“It was supposed to be my left eye, not the perfectly healthy one…” Rhys sighed, making an effort to do the exercise Maya wanted him to. “If I go blind in the next few months, I don’t think there’s anything that would convince me that there’s no fucking curse going on here. Oh, that guy? He lost an arm and a leg, let’s make him more disabled by crippling him out of his sight. On the ECHOnet, I’ll be known as the freak on a leash, that’s me! Whoopidity-fucking-do.”

“If you could listen to yourself talking, holy fuck… Rhys, you’re not going blind. How is a dull ache behind your eyes making you blind?”

“Well… maybe it’s not just a dull ache… also, sometimes it gets blurry. So… uh, yeah.”

Throwing her hands in the air and groaning, Maya slapped him on the neck, making the young man moan an “ouch” loudly. Saying how Rhys was never honest with her, when obviously he just told her the whole truth. “I’m just calling Dr. Zed over. Also there’s Jack, he needs to know we won’t be up to all that bat-shit crazy stuff today.”

“Wait, no! Why?” Rhys asked in a desperate manner, letting go of the resistance band only to get whacked by it. “O-ouch, no, wait.”

“He can’t fondle you today, pretty boy, you’re getting examined by a doctor, duh. Zed will probably wanna run some tests on you, silly.”

“F-fondle? He’s just doing his job, Maya, why would he ever _fondle_ me? I mean, oh my God! What are you talking about?”

The blue haired woman stared intently at him, squeezing her eyes in a curious manner. She then approached him carefully, intimidating the hell out of Rhys.

“You have a crush on Handsome Jack.” Maya accused, a wry smile and arched eyebrows, however she didn’t seem surprised.

“M-me? I don’t know what you’re talking about. J-Jack?” Rhys snorted, blushing slightly, grabbing the band again and doubling his effort on the exercise. “I just don’t want to make this process longer than it needs to be, that’s all.”

“I’m not that surprised, you have the tendency of falling for garbage like him.”

“Listen, I am not _falling_ for him, and even if that were true, don’t you think I’d wait at least a few months before dating anyone again? August was my fiancé, for fuck sake.”

“I mean, if douchebags are your thing, you’ll totally like Jack. Rhys and Jack sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! First comes lo-”

“Maaaaaaaya,” Rhys groaned interrupting her chanting, totally embarrassed by the situation, not to mention he still wasn’t even sure of his feelings. “Please, drop it.”

“Not happening,” the woman said in a singing voice, walking out of the kitchen with a smug swag of hips.

“You’re the worse. You hear me? The _worst_!”

____________~____________

Jack felt absolutely dirty doing this. On his computer multiple tabs and windows opened, with photos and tidbits about Rhys. He had done much worse in the past, digging up information about his enemies and potential threats, without an ounce of guilt in his body. Nonetheless, in this  instance, he could feel the tingling sense he was doing something very wrong, remorse  tinkering around the edges of his consciousness. What he found was mostly all scattered on the ECHOnet, being the celebrity he is, selling the perfect image of a perfectly content man with the looks of a demigod. Because, of course, nothing could beat Jack’s own looks. He found the announcement of an engagement to another model named August, afterwards finding out he basically jumped out of the moving train when Rhys suffered from the accident. Everyone knew celebrities were volatile and it was common sense to believe everything they do is just a media manipulation of facts. However, when he looked at the paparazzi pictures of the couple, Rhys was a different man from the current gloomy one that didn’t smile. The young man had a genuine smile every time he was with August, that kind of happiness you struggle your whole life to get. Except Jack, he was pretty damn happy about everything in his life, well, almost happy. He had distanced himself from relationships due to the mess it caused and not the good kind of mess.

Despite what he actually thought about Rhys, it was driving him nuts to see how the accident had disturbed the other man’s life. Much like seeing a puzzle being ripped to pieces from near completion and thrown across a room. No matter how much Jack liked seeing pretty things break, this one bothered him in ways he didn’t understand. Maya had called him earlier, saying that Rhys needed medical attention and wouldn’t be available for him today. This also bothered him, as he was yearning to see the young man today and it would have probably kept him from all that “research”. Jack was a man that simply had what he wanted when he wanted, he didn’t need anyone’s permission to be the badass he was. People just wanted to please him in any way they could, praise the King of freaking Hyperion. Yet still, he was getting troubled by a no brainer model that probably couldn’t even figure out Jack was giving him _the look_. Again, that irked so many checkboxes on his not-to-do list the older man, not less handsome, he was beginning to think he had lost his touch. Because really, if the stares weren’t hinting anything, he was pretty sure his messages would do the trick - to his demise, his inbox was empty.

Groaning inwardly, Jack kicked his trash bin only to curse at the floor, as if the contents of the metal case did nothing but wrong to him. Determined not to torture himself with the idea of actually caring, Jack would fix this tonight - it’s not like he didn’t know where the brunette lived. Whether he’d get this out of his system by convincing himself Rhys was just a dweeb or fucking him into the mattress, it didn’t matter. As long as he _did_ something.

 ____________~____________

With both eyebrows furrowed, Rhys looked intently at the screen flashing through the gossip about him on the ECHOnet. Between saying that his career is now over and that he was _drunk_ when he suffered the accident, nothing nice popped up from these websites. Frowning, he realized this was a bad idea - what could be more disappointing than people talking all sort of lies about him? He wasn’t _drunk_ when he was driving, nor was he doing drugs and going down a paraphernalia induced death spiral. So much for having “fans” when his official page was being bombarded with hate comments too. Giving up, he moved his wheelchair from his computer feeling defeated. Old Rhys wouldn’t have even flinched at these things. Old Rhys wouldn’t have cared if everyone around him hated him, he’d just dismissively shrug it off. Now he wasn’t sure that they were just provocative empty lies.

The doorbell rang before he could get to his room, somewhat annoyed and a little paranoid, Rhys pulled the ECHOcom from the side and checked who was it. Maya had gone to buy groceries, telling him he needed to eat more than the chinese takeouts they’ve been getting the past week. She left five minutes ago, surely the physiotherapist didn’t have super speed powers as far as he could tell.

Rhys was surprised - pleasantly surprised - at a seemingly nervous Jack standing before his front door.

“Hey, pumpkin. There you are,” said Jack, putting up a confident facade as soon as he saw Rhys.

“U-uh, hey Jack.”

Suddenly, the air was filled with an awkward silence, Jack staring into his soul with those heterochromatic eyes. For some reason, being alone with him made Rhys fidget apprehensively. Whilst grabbing his own shoulder, the younger man tried to maintain visual contact because he felt that if he averted his look from Jack this moment would disappear. The CEO leaned towards him with intent, putting his hand on top of Rhys’ and squeezed it.

“Soooooo, are you really just this obnoxiously oblivious or simply rejecting me?” Jack asked with a frown, perceiving this whole situation as an annoying one.

“R-rejecting you? How am I…”

“I’m talking about me almost fucking you with my eyes and you doing nothing in return, cupcake. Did the accident mess with your brain or something?” The older man interrupted, clearly angry at Rhys.

“Oh. Uh… _oooooh_ .” It was as if a light bulb lighted up on Rhys’ head, bewildering the model to the point of him dropping his jaw. “I just… I wasn’t sure. You _are Handsome Jack_ after all, I’m just a probably retired model missing two limbs. You know, the opposite of someone you would date.”

“Listen, pumpkin, do I look the kind of guy who has to make someone believe I’m into them? God, you are so annoying,” Jack groaned desperately, closer than ever to Rhys’ face and making the boy _blush_. Talk about a complete dweeb right there, the CEO thought. “Work with me, pumpkin, have I not dropped enough hints throughout this week, really?”

“I don’t… I mean, you were looking at me but I thought you were just… I don’t even know, Jack. How else was I supposed to know?”

“Maybe me being as subtle as a shit ton of bricks by sending you messages that you never answered.”

Rhys was confused for a moment before he realized he hadn’t touched his phone since he called Vaughn that night. Blushing fervently, he then tried to move his hand out of Jack’s reach which turned to be a confusing message to send across.

“My phone is… somewhere in my room and I haven’t checked on it since… since the whole pipe incident.”

At that, Jack snorted and laughed loudly, grasping Rhys’ hand more firmly. “You are really _something_ otherworldly, Rhysie. A total dork, but still cute.”

So it wasn’t all in Rhys’ head after all and that made him kind of giddy on the inside. Not like he was that perceptive when it came to people flirting with him, it took two months for August to even ask him out. _Ugh, August_. Just the thought of the blonde sent nasty shivers up his spine almost making his body shudder in disgust. However, did it matter if he did have a crush on Jack, was he ready to be close to someone else this quickly? The older man answered this for him when he leaned in for a chaste kiss, just the touch of lips brushing light and slow against each other. Rhys guessed he was ready - nothing felt more fitting than the warmth of Jack enticing him in for more.

As much as Rhys was enjoying this, it didn’t last for long: Maya closed the door panting wildly, like she had seen a ghost.

“We need to move you out of here right now. The reporters found out the apartment and they’re climbing up the stairs.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, sorry about the lack of updates. If you wanna know tidbits of the story before it comes out, come say hi on tumblr: @accaciax!


	6. The Bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry. I don’t have excuses other than I’ve been in a psych ward and really sick with depression, severely I might say. But I am finishing this story for sure because the few people that still follow me because of this story deserve an ending (not that it will end this chapter, this story has quite a way to go). Thanks for reading. Also, I know this chapter isn't very long, but stick with me, please!
> 
> So, my friend Jordan's been kinda busy and I kinda didn't want to drop the porn bomb on him. So, an angel (aka [@starsflee](http://starsflee.tumblr.com)) fell from the sky and helped me finish this chapter, he's my new beta. ♥ Follow us on tumblr! [@accaciax](http://accaciax.tumblr.com) [@starsflee](http://starsflee.tumblr.com).

Panic flooded his mind as the blue haired women announced the reporters, his chest tightening in a familiar yet unwelcomed pain. It took a lot of effort to actually listen to Jack repeatedly calling his name. When his voice does come through, the CEO’s tone is smooth and velvety with a pinch of honey, making him squirm in place.

Jack asks a couple of questions about exits in the loft, then draws out his phone to make a call. Rhys wishes he could be just like he was before, confident and borderline arrogant - he wishes that this anxiety would just go away. It’s not just panic attacks, it’s a constant reminder he can’t function properly. Also, Rhys didn’t like the idea of leaving this place. Everything had been modified to make his routine easier: a lower king size bed, a curbless shower stall, grab handles in general for his mobility and nothing was out of his reach from the height of the wheelchair. However, as Jack picked his attention once more, he would most likely have to relocate.

“I don’t know who is your manager, kiddo, but someone really messed this up,” the CEO said, pinching his nose bridge with discernible irritation. “There are currently 11 TV stations with your face on it, doing live coverage for your apartment. Seriously, kitten, who the fuck takes care of your media coverage? This is so fucking careless.”

“Fiona would never do this to me…” Rhys murmurs to himself more than to Jack, starting to doubt if that was really something she would do to him for… money.

To be honest, she could’ve. Money was a big deal to the shady manager and he didn’t want to think how much they offered her.

Everything happened very fast from Rhys’ perspective: the Hyperion bodyguards barging into his loft, Maya packing up some essential items so he could be out of here for a few days and Jack actually giving him subtle yet comforting touches on his shoulder. He didn’t think about where he was being taken or how aggressive the reporters were trying to break into the wall of Hyperion men surrounding the model.

His surroundings were surreal even for his lifestyle and he didn’t know why it made him feel scared to death. Only thing that was his anchor to reality was Jack holding him in his arms. Jack rudely cursed at the shameless journalists and was very protective of Rhys. When they finally entered Jack’s car, Rhys was a trembling mess and he wasn’t very proud of the sobbing noises he was making as he gripped the other man’s shirt.

“Shhh, cupcake, it’s goin’ to be alright. Don’t worry, ol’ pal Jack here isn’t gonna let anyone hurt ya.”

Rhys wanted to believe those words. His fear was irrational and he was aware of how ridiculous he might’ve looked right now, but truth to be told he was relieved Jack was there.

“You know, panic attacks aren’t only chest pains and not being able to breathe. They can manifest in various manners, Rhys.” Maya tried to reach her hand to Rhys’ and squeezed firmly on it. “You’ve gone through so much, honey, you can do this. Only a couple of days and we’ll sort this whole mess out. Ok?”

Rhys nodded in response, curling himself further into Jack’s lap. 

It wasn’t long until they reached Jack’s place, packed with every security Hyperion could offer and with a big no to journalists in general because of how the place was built. Maya got a guest room and so did Rhys, but when Jack put Rhys down the younger man grabbed his wrist and whispered lowly:  _ “Don’t go.” _

Jack glanced down at Rhys with curious eyes, whether the young man wanted to bed him or just wanted company, Jack knew one thing - if he stayed, he would have his way with him. Silently, Jack joined Rhys under the covers seeking the warmth of the slim model.

“So,” Rhys says shyly.

“So, something you wanna say to me?”

“I… I… don’t wanna talk. I just want this,” Rhys leans in and continues the interrupted kiss from the loft, Jack meeting him halfway.

Everything started slowly, a chaste touch of lips, a ghostly lingering of fingers on each other’s arms - ever so patiently, Jack felt like opening up a safe full of secrets. He kissed the hollows of Rhys’ mouth as if he could undoubtedly mend the broken pieces within him. As if he,  _ Jack _ , could actually  _ care _ about someone,  _ something _ \- even something as pretty as Rhys. When the older man slid his hand down Rhys’ torso to grab his butt cheeks, he felt a hand grasping his wrist again.

“Something wrong, kitten?” Jack asked breathless, inquiring the young man as to why stopping the make-out session.

“I’m not a teenager anymore, I know you want to fuck me. But like this? While I’m… like… this...” Rhys seemed rather confused, looking down at himself at the time being and judging his body.

“You think too hard, cupcake, relax.”

With that, Jack moved behind Rhys playing with the hem of the pajama pants he was wearing, the trail of brown hair pointing downwards to his groin. Rhys could feel Jack getting hard against his body, a sign not only of the CEO desire towards the young man but also proving him wrong - his disability was nothing to worry about. That alone aroused the model so much his eyes rolled on the back of his head and Jack barely had touched him. So emotional, Rhys was a mess of feelings and impulses, more of sexual kind right now.

“Just give in. Give yourself to me, I’ll make you feel so good, Rhysie,” Jack whispered devilishly, planting kisses on his neck intertwined with bites, ones that would leave lingering marks. Rhys, after a long moment of thinking, guided Jack’s hand inside his pants giving his absolute consent. “That’s right, just like that.”

Rhys didn’t want to think of the consequences of this, he wanted to feel Jack touching him, fucking him, making him feel otherworldly with an orgasm. He wanted to feel normal again, people were always walking on glass with him and Jack didn’t, he seemed genuine in his loud and larger than life actions every time. The CEO stripped down to his boxers and joined him again in bed, this time pulling the pants Rhys was wearing down and finding him half-hard through his underwear.

“Oh, yeah, cupcake, that’s what I like to see,” Jack grinned while deliberately stroking Rhys’ cock into full hardness. On that, the young model bit his lip down, stifling a couple of moans. “Don’t be shy now, I wanna hear every fucking moan from that beautiful mouth of yours.”

Whether the blue haired woman would listen to their chaotic mess they’d like to call sex or not, that was the least of concerns in the back of Rhys’ mind. Everything was slow and fast, overwhelming and underwhelming - a mix of a rollercoaster that was making Rhys shiver in delight with every teasing touch. When a light sound of ripping foil interrupted that sequence of shivers, he looked to the side and watched Jack applying lube to his own fingers. Being extremely turned on by that vision, he couldn’t resist but pull his hand to his mouth and lick Jack’s fingers messily.

“Aren’t you a box full of surprises, eh?”

“I try my best,” Rhys replied triumphantly, letting go of the older man’s fingers with a pop noise.

Jack went back to business, lubing up those fingers the best he could with what he had and started with one finger. Not extremely uncomfortable, Rhys pressed himself onto it, encouraging the CEO. But Jack was an experienced man - and God forbid someone would call him  _ old _ , he was fucking  _ experienced _ \- he knew better than pushing the boy over the edge so soon.

Taking his sweet time, Jack opened him up with encouraging comments here and there.  _ You’re doing so good, cupcake _ and  _ Such a good boy _ . However, being the wolf Jack was, he couldn’t resist an obscene remark like:  _ God, I can’t wait to just wreck you, _ his voice heavy with lewdness. Jack bit the junction of Rhys’ neck and the young man moaned in response, eager for more, fingers not doing it for him anymore.

“Jack, please, please, please…” He begged pitifully, turning his face to the other man and stealing a passioned kiss. Rhys didn’t have to ask twice as Jack ripped a second package, rolled down a condom on his dick and positioned himself behind the young man, patient as ever, entering him painfully slowly. Rhys stopped breathing for a few moments before releasing the air inside his lungs all at once, a gasp that didn’t go unnoticed by Jack. It’s been too long, Rhys thought, too long and damn, it felt good. 

“Having a little trouble there breathing, kitten?”

Rhys couldn’t, however, reply to that as he was to involved in a dense lusty mist that didn’t allow him to think straight. The only thing he could process was meeting Jack’s hips in an increasing tempo and it pleased the CEO too: Jack was groaning, his big hand on his ass spreading his cheeks apart. It felt incredibly dirty and crude, just the way Rhys needed it. His cock throbbed every time the faint touch on his prostate would happen and he would clench strongly around Jack when that happened. But when he did find the spot after so much teasing, Rhys could’ve sworn he saw stars from it, moaning so loudly his throat felt slightly sore.

“So this is the ticket, huh, sweetcheeks?” He asked, a little pantless himself, delirious with warm pleasure around his cock. 

“A-ah, Jack, don’t, d-don’t stop…!”

“I don’t think I could stop even if someone entered the room,” Jack hissed, sweat dropping from his forehead and as if on cue, Rhys tightened on his cock. “Apparently someone has a kink for it. Would you like someone watching us fuck, kiddo? Just doing this nasty, sweaty sex in front of a public?”

“N-no-uhn, stop it, Jack.”

“What’s wrong? Voyeurism isn’t such a bad kink. Just imagine everyone being absolutely envious of this perky lil’ ass of yours, kitten, being wrecked by me… hm?”

Suddenly, everything felt very wrong in all aspects of what they were doing and instead of feeling embraced, accepted by someone who would protect him, Rhys felt in danger. He felt vulnerable and that was unacceptable, his brain would say, it was telling him to run away. It felt like dancing with the devil and the fire hurt, it opened up wounds that were meant to be left alone.

“Jack, stop. Stop, right now.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Jack asked, confused, hips stilling and baffled, unsure of what went wrong. “Oh my God, are you one of those people that stop mid sex to say they left their stove on? Pumpkin, listen...”

“I just can’t believe this. Unbelievable. Asshole bingo, one more in my life. Get out, Jack. Please, get the hell out,” Rhys said, face painted with a frown, retracting himself from the warmth of Jack’s body to the edge of the bed. It required double the effort, but he just wanted distance between himself and the CEO immediately. 

Jack sat for a few moments on the other side of the bed, eyes kinda lost and bewildered as if something really shocking had happened to him. The older man just couldn’t understand what he had done wrong, after all, he did what he always did with all of his over satisfied lovers - took care of them like he wanted to be taken care of. Of course, what he wanted was always the best in all situations, so what the hell was going on?

“I’m gonna ask one last time, Jack,” the young model warned, avoiding eye contact with the CEO as he made sure, again, of the distance between the two of them. “Please don’t make me ask again.”

Wearing only his boxers, Jack leaves the room with a bittersweet taste in his mouth, not looking back to see the tears on Rhys’ face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look. Uh. MY BETA MADE ME DO IT. >_> *runs* (No, he didn't, but we did it together, haha).
> 
> Follow us: [@accaciax](http://accaciax.tumblr.com) [@starsflee](http://starsflee.tumblr.com).


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